OT: remedial search

[Joel S. Berson]

At 8/15/2009 09:49 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>Back to remedial search school for me.

Reminds me of an incident at my local public library.  The previous
night the on-line catalog had said a certain book was available, but
I didn't see it in its place according to call number, nor nearby
preceding or following.  I went to the reference desk and enquired
whether it had been withdrawn before I arrived.  She said no it was
still listed as available, and offered to look on the shelves for
me.  I was skeptical that she would find it, but said OK.  Within
five minutes she was back with the book in her hand.

I said, "I need to learn more about library misfiling."

She said, "Well, it was misfiled very strangely."  I didn't ask under
what rules, which had enabled her to find it.

Joel

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